Everyone’s dunking on this woman’s essay about her fiancé’s prom date

Every now and then, a piece of profound writing takes the internet by storm with its groundbreaking ideas, keen observations, and graceful prose. This is not one of those times.

An essay picked up steam on Twitter on Wednesday for none of those reasons, attracting mockery for being a petty and even concerning take on dating. Titled “You May Have Worn the Prom Dress With Him, But I Get to Wear the Wedding Dress,” the essay was perceived as a condescending (and insecure) open letter from writer Victoria Higgins to her fiancé’s ex-girlfriend.

Many people couldn’t even get past the first line of the essay, which hails high school as seemingly “the best time of your life” for high schoolers. The claim excludes the staggering number of people who had humiliating and/or horrendous high school experiences.

https://twitter.com/dumbandawful/status/981641225240481798

Could not get past first line of story: "High school seems like the best time of your life when you are in it."

But that’s just the beginning. Higgins, whose bio states that she’s a Missouri State University student, goes on to not-so-humbly brag about getting to marry her fiancé while managing to both patronize and envy the anonymous addressee.

“I wish I could say that I am sorry it didn’t work out for you, but I can’t,” Higgins writes. “I can’t because he is mine now, and I get to cherish him forever.”

It escalates.

“I hate that you got all of the high school stuff with him,” she writes. “You got to go to games and support him. It kills me that I couldn’t be there for him because I know I would have actually been there wholeheartedly.”

And while it’s true that Higgins may want to reflect on what her public gloat of “I get to wear the wedding dress” and sneering letter to her fiancé’s prom date might insinuate for the future of her relationship, some critics got carried away with the hysterical women trope.

Can someone be this jealous of prom? What is the author going to do when a server is too effusive in a restaurant? When someone inadvertently gives her husband a hug? Is there going to be a killing spree? There's going to be a killing spree, I know it. https://t.co/ngavHnn0jN

You may have only worn the prom dress with him but at least you're not a total psycho who is having a one way competition with somebody you never met from your significant other's high school years. https://t.co/SrIyP1kdXVhttps://t.co/QuDxGLn08a

This is a specific kind of crazy and is more commonly known as a "red flag". If homeboy ignores the article and doesn't run, screaming away from the engagement, that's on him; she's letting you know that she ain't right.

But in a time when women should be supporting women and not publishing resentful, braggadocious essays about them, Higgins’ writing leaves much to be desired. Here’s to hoping that the public criticism encourages her to reflect on her clearly-not-under-control jealousy and consider couples therapy.

In the meantime, we’ll be waiting for the satirical takedowns—and the sequels.

I feel like this could be a series:"He may have married you first, but I get him ect..","He may may gotten you pregnant first, but I ect…","He may have had kids and then gotten a vasectomy with you first, but I ect….."

Kris Seavers is the Evening Editor for the Daily Dot, where she covers breaking news, politics, and LGBTQ issues. Her work has appeared in Central Texas publications, including Austin Monthly and San Antonio Magazine, and on NPR.